Baitadi bus crash survivor recall: I pushed others before jumping
“I realized the bus was moving toward the edge of the road. I pushed others and jumped out,” Joshi said.
KATHMANDU: Baitadi’s Bhauni village in Purchaudi Municipality–7 has been shrouded in grief since Thursday evening, following a devastating bus accident that claimed 13 lives. Just hours earlier, the village had been alive with wedding celebrations, laughter, and music.
The incident occurred as a wedding procession was returning from Naunsa village in Bajhang’s Bithadchir Rural Municipality, where the bride had been picked up around noon. After completing the traditional wedding rituals in Bhauni, the procession boarded a bus at the Girjabar Park to return home. Many villagers, invited to join the celebration, also boarded the already crowded vehicle.
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Among those standing at the rear door due to lack of space was Amarraj Joshi, the bride’s uncle. “The bus was full. I was standing at the door, expecting some people to get off along the way,” Joshi recounted.
Approximately 8–9 kilometers from Girjabar, near Badagaun turn in Purchaudi–7, the bus suddenly veered off. “I realized the bus was moving toward the edge of the road. I pushed others and jumped out,” Joshi said. He fell about 15 meters down a slope but managed to grab a tree, which saved his life, according to Kantipur.
Sadly, many others, including the bride’s brother Sushil and other wedding guests, did not survive the accident. “That scene is still haunting me. Such an incident should never have happened,” Joshi added.
The bus, operated by Pawandut Transport (Sudurpaschim Province 02–001 Kh 1119), was confirmed by Baitadi District Police to have caused 13 fatalities in the crash.
The village is now in mourning as families grapple with the sudden loss of loved ones.
